Without Family, There is Nothing

I believe that family is the most valuable possession in life. My family is always there for me. They are the only people I can really trust. I have a big family. My mom is one of seven children and on her side alone I have fifteen cousins. My dad is one of three children and I have four cousins on his side. I know that having a big family has influenced my belief. My family is also very close. My aunts and uncles helped raise me. I think of my cousins as my brothers and sisters. My family is apart of me. I cannot imagine my life without them.

When I was three years old, my parents were divorced. Growing up with divorced parents has made me value my sister more. My sister was always there for me throughout the past eleven years. She has gotten me through the rough times. Over the years we have shared many good times and many bad ones. I believe having divorced parents has influenced my belief. I think this is when my belief was first formed. I have learned to cherish my sister more. After going through so much together, I don’t believe I could live without her.

Another experience that has influenced my belief is when my grandpa died. I remember the night so clearly. My dad was at my mom’s house, so I immediately knew something was wrong. When he first told me, I felt as though I was having a bad dream and that I would soon wake up. Reality finally set in the day of his funeral. I began regretting not telling him I loved him enough. This experience made me value my family even more.

I believe that I should not take my family for granted as I used to. In March of 2006, my other grandpa became extremely ill. My grandpa is known as the strong leader of the entire family. When he got sick, the whole family was really shaken. My grandpa was in the intensive care unit for months. It turned out that he had gotten sick from an ecoli virus he obtained from another hospital. This experience really frightened me. The thought of losing another strong figure in my life seemed unfathomable. Luckily, my grandfather was able to return home eventually and did get better. Even today my grandpa is not fully recovered. He is not as he was before the illness. This family medical scare influenced my belief greatly.

I realized that nothing is set in stone and that one day, I could lose someone dear to me. I can’t imagine life without anyone of them. Without them I would have nothing. I wouldn’t be who I am today. Family is the only thing that really matters in life.

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This week’s essay

As half of the magic act Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette enjoys challenging his audiences with the unconventional. In stating his personal credo, Jillette finds liberation in believing there is no God. Click here to read his essay.